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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 484 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 484

 Congratulating the Government and people of the Republic of Turkey as 
          they celebrate Republic Day, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 21, 2015

 Mr. Chabot submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Congratulating the Government and people of the Republic of Turkey as 
          they celebrate Republic Day, and for other purposes.

Whereas every year on October 29, Turkey celebrates Republic Day, commemorating 
        the day when Turkey became a republic;
Whereas, on October 29, 1923, the Republic of Turkey was formally established 
        and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the visionary leader of modern Turkey, became 
        its first President;
Whereas Turkey is a secular, pluralistic, westward-looking democracy with a 
        predominantly Muslim population;
Whereas the United States and Turkey have been close friends and allies for more 
        than half a century, sharing common values of democracy, diversity, 
        tolerance, social mobility, and the separation of religious and civic 
        life;
Whereas Anatolia, home of the Republic of Turkey, has been a cradle of 
        civilizations for millennia;
Whereas the city states of the Lycian Federation, located in Patara, Turkey, 
        inspired the Founding Fathers of the United States as they wrote the 
        Constitution of the United States;
Whereas for decades Turkey has stood as the bulwark of the North Atlantic Treaty 
        Organization (NATO) on the southeastern flank of the Alliance and 
        guarded a long common border with the former Soviet Union;
Whereas since the end of the Cold War, Turkey has become an important partner of 
        the United States in facing 21st century challenges such as 
        international terrorism, ethnic and religious extremism and 
        fundamentalism, energy security and diversity, the proliferation of 
        weapons of mass destruction, and international organized crime including 
        drug and human trafficking;
Whereas Turkey is a mature democracy with a well-established record of 
        conducting free and fair elections, most recently parliamentary 
        elections on June 7, 2015;
Whereas Turkey has the 18th largest economy in the world;
Whereas in 2013, Turkey was the 26th largest market for United States exports, 
        totaling $12,100,000,000 and representing an increase of 316 percent 
        over 2003;
Whereas in 2013, Turkey was the 41st largest source of United States imports, 
        totaling $6,700,000,000 and representing an increase of 76 percent over 
        2003;
Whereas Turkey's membership in the European Union would further enhance its 
        stature as a robust member of the transatlantic community;
Whereas in August 2015, after many months of discussions the United States and 
        Turkey concluded an agreement for working cooperatively to combat Daesh/
        ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq, including providing access to 
        Incirlik Airbase for United States aircraft undertaking airstrikes 
        against targets in Syria;
Whereas the conflict in neighboring Syria has been especially burdensome to 
        Turkey as it relates to the growing population of refugees who have fled 
        to Turkey from Syria and now number more than 2,000,000 people costing 
        the Government of Turkey $7,600,000,000 to provide the necessary 
        economic and social services to this population;
Whereas according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 
        Turkey is now the largest refugee-hosting country in the world;
Whereas Turkish Americans are an important part of the fabric of the United 
        States, as evidenced by their contributions to the arts, science, 
        academia, and business; and
Whereas Turkish Americans serve as goodwill ambassadors promoting greater 
        understanding between the United States and Turkey, by educating people 
        in the United States about Turkey's rich cultural heritage, and the 
        importance of the strategic partnership to advance mutual interests 
        between the United States and Turkey: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the Republic of Turkey as one of the most 
        important strategic partners of the United States;
            (2) expresses appreciation for Turkey's contribution to 
        global efforts to combat international terrorism particularly 
        Daesh/ISIS;
            (3) acknowledges the unique political, economic, and social 
        challenges confronting Turkey from the influx of refugees that 
        the ongoing conflicts in neighboring Iraq and Syria have 
        caused; and
            (4) congratulates the Government and people of Turkey as 
        they celebrate Republic Day.
                                 <all>
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